The Drama Nerds Database

Broadway and West End history: the shows, productions, people, theatres and recordings, all linked to each other.

Today in theatre history

Production photograph of Uncle Vanya, 2012.

14 years ago today

Uncle Vanya

Opened at the Vaudeville Theatre on November 2, 2012.

Production photograph, 2012. via Wikimedia Commons

Who worked with whom

Part of the musical theatre history subway map: colored lines running between stations named for Broadway musicals.

On its own site

The subway map

Every musical is a station and every line is a person who worked on it. Follow a composer, a lyricist, a director or a choreographer from show to show. It lives on its own site.

Open the subway map

Screenshot of musicaltheatrehistory.com

Trivia of the day

Poster of 9 to 5: The Musical.

Trivia

9 to 5: The Musical

Dolly Parton wrote the entire score, her first for a stage musical, and appeared at the opening night curtain call to a standing ovation. Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler would later win a Tony for Hamilton. The show had a much more successful life in London's West End, where it ran for over two years.

More about 9 to 5: The Musical

Poster. via Wikipedia

Where to start

5,229 collections See all the collections

The longest runs on Broadway

How many times each production played on Broadway.

No.2 Chicago11,808 performances as of October 2026 · Richard Rodgers Theatre
No.3 The Lion King11,433 performances as of October 2026 · New Amsterdam Theatre
No.4 Wicked8,971 performances as of October 2026 · Gershwin Theatre
No.5 Cats7,485 performances · Winter Garden Theatre
No.12 Rent5,123 performances · Nederlander Theatre

The longest runs in the West End

How many times each production played in London.

No.5 Mamma Mia !10,900 performances as of August 2026 · Prince Edward Theatre
No.6 The Lion King10,700 performances as of October 2026 · Lyceum Theatre
No.8 Cats8,949 performances · New London Theatre
No.9 Wicked7,800 performances as of October 2026 · Apollo Victoria Theatre

Shows that opened on November 2

See all the shows that opened on November 2
1961 KeanBroadway · 92 performances
2019 BigDominion Theatre
I Need That 2023 · American Airlines Theatre · 68 performances
Junk 2017 · Vivian Beaumont Theater · 77 performances

See all the shows that opened in 2026

Titles that start with "Sweet" 24 shows See all the titles that start with "Sweet"

Sweet Adeline. Sweet Little Devil. Sweet Charity, twice, 1966 and its 1986 revival. Sweet Smell of Success. Every one of them opens on the same word.

Today's collection

Winners of the Tony for Best Musical

The Tony for Best Musical was first given in 1949, to Kiss Me, Kate. These productions won it.

Kismet1953 · Ziegfeld Theatre · 583 performances

See all the winners of the Tony for Best Musical 76 productions

Anyone can add to this

The people who read this site also write it. Every page has a correction link, every change is signed with the name of whoever made it, and anything can be undone. Reading needs no account; editing needs one so your work has your name on it.

A program from 1931, the back of a record sleeve, a photograph of the theatre you walked past: each one fills in a page here. Open the show, the person or the theatre it belongs to and use the correction link.

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